Mini dental assessment: a simple screening test for non-dental staff

[Geriatric assessment in dentistry : A review of chewing function tests]

Due to increasing life expectancy and the associated demographic changes, more and more people are dependent on care. To identify a possible need for dental treatment, chewing function tests as assessment instruments have proven their effectiveness. In this article, the reader is given an overview of existing chewing function tests and their implementation. It is important that a patient with pain should be presented to a dentist immediately, regardless of whether a chewing function test is performed. Furthermore, chewing function tests are not a substitute for routine dental examinations, but they could provide information to (dental) laypersons as to whether an appointment should be arranged in a dental practice or whether a dental consultation is necessary.

Evaluation of the Association of Chewing Function and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in a Population of Individuals Aged ≥ 45 Years and Residing in Communities in Switzerland: A Cross-Sectional Study

PURPOSE

To analyse the association of masticatory performance and oral health-related quality of life in a representative population of individuals residing in communities in Switzerland aged ≥ 45 years.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In total, 100 subjects completed two dedicated and validated questionnaires on their demographic data and the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index. A mixing ability test was performed for assessing masticatory performance. The qualitative analysis of the test was performed by categorizing the images into five categories, while the quantitative analysis was performed via a validated custom-made software.

RESULTS

Sixty-six samples could be analysed. Participants younger than 65 years of age showed significantly less frequent chewing deficiencies (17%) compared to those 65 years and older (50%, p < 0.01). However, retired participants had chewing deficiencies significantly more frequently (8%) compared to workers (51%, p < 0.01). A statistically significant positive association of having chewing deficiency was found between employment status (p < 0.01) and the presence of restorations (p = 0.04), while GOHAI did not show any statistically significant association. Overall, the enrolled subjects displayed moderate chewing function. Masticatory performance was positively associated with the number of present restorations.

CONCLUSIONS

The enrolled subjects residing in communities in Switzerland aged ≥ 45 years displayed moderate chewing function. Their masticatory performance was positively associated with the number of present restorations but not associated with oral health related quality of life (GOHAI).

Development of a New Application-Based Chewing Efficiency Test (Mini Dental Assessment) and Its Evaluation by Nursing Staff in Geriatric Care: A Pilot Study

The increasing average life expectancy worldwide results in an elderly population with significant health care needs. However, dental care is often not a focus of care. It is well known that oral and overall health are directly related. Therefore, the Mini Dental Assessment (MDA) was developed to provide a simple analysis of oral health status, although it is currently only available in paper form, with all associated drawbacks, from illegible writing to the inability to quickly search the collected forms. This study aimed to develop a digital application (app) for mobile devices that can overcome the problems associated with paper forms. After the digital MDA was developed, its usability was evaluated by nurses, a questionnaire was answered, and it was compared to the analog MDA with patients in a pilot study. The usability of the app (System Usability Scale) was 95.18 ± 4.26, representing a very high usability. Furthermore, this app showed good clinical applicability. The results also showed that the digital MDA was accepted by nurses in their daily routine and was preferred to the analog MDA. A follow-up study with a higher number of subjects is highly recommended.

Denture-related problems of patients in acute geriatric care

BACKGROUND

With increasing frailty and complaint-oriented utilization of dental care, the prevalence of oral diseases also increases.

AIM

To clarify whether there is a need for dental prosthodontic treatment during residential acute geriatric rehabilitation.

METHODS

Within 3 weeks in a hospital for acute geriatric patients, 79 out of 157 newly admitted patients were interviewed as study participants (age: median 79.0 years, range 66-96 years, female 51.9%), dental findings were recorded, treatment needs were determined but X‑rays were not taken.

RESULTS

Of the participants 31.1% had not seen a dentist for more than 1 year and 18.2% were edentulous. The median number of teeth in dentate participants was 16 (range 1-28 teeth); based on all participants, there was a median of 12.0 teeth (range 0-28 teeth). Of the 52 denture wearers (45 upper jaw and 43 lower jaw), 5 each of the maxillary and mandibular dentures could not be assessed because they were not available at the hospital. Moderate denture deficiencies were present in 62.5% of participants wearing upper dentures (mandibular 55.3%).

CONCLUSION

Dental treatment is needed in this vulnerable patient group. Therefore, the oral cavity should be assessed as part of the geriatric assessment. The available data confirm that the use of validated assessment instruments, such as the mini dental assessment as part of the comprehensive geriatric assessment would be useful. In addition to an oral examination, simple dental treatment should be provided to reduce infections and improve chewing ability. The geriatrician should be informed of the urgency of treatment. The overall rehabilitative approach of acute geriatric treatment would be complete if oral health would not be excluded.

[Oral health assessment of seniors under outpatient care by family doctors : Development and validation of the geriatric outpatient oral health screening]

Hintergrund

Einschränkungen der Mundgesundheit ambulant betreuter Senioren in Deutschland werden trotz hoher Prävalenz im hausärztlich-geriatrischen Bereich nicht routinemäßig erfasst. Da Senioren Hausärzte mit höherem Alter häufiger aufsuchen als Zahnärzte, stellt sich die Frage, ob reduzierte Mundgesundheit im Praxisalltag mit einem interdisziplinären Screeninginstrument identifiziert werden kann.

Ziel der Arbeit

Ziel der Arbeit ist, ein Screeninginstrument für reduzierte Mundgesundheit für Hausärzte zu entwickeln und dieses durch zahnmedizinische Befunde zu validieren.

Material und Methoden

Das geriatrische ambulante Mundgesundheits-Screening (GAMS) als subjektives Screeninginstrument wurde entwickelt, um für geriatrische Patienten relevante zahnmedizinische Aspekte wie Kauprobleme, Schmerzen, Parodontitis, Mundgeruch oder Mundtrockenheit in dichotomen Fragen abzubilden. Zudem erfolgt die Einschätzung der Dringlichkeit eines Zahnarztbesuches durch den Behandler. Es wurden n = 75 Patienten eingeschlossen und der GAMS sowie eine zahnärztliche Untersuchung zur Validierung durchgeführt.

Ergebnisse

Bei subjektiver Einschätzung als auch im zahnmedizinischen Befund zeigte sich reduzierte Mundgesundheit, insbesondere bei Risikofaktoren für die Entwicklung systemischer Komorbiditäten wie Dysphagie und Mangelernährung, wobei Mundgesundheitsprobleme durch die Patienten unterschätzt wurden. Einbisse, Kauschwierigkeiten und Mundtrockenheit zeigten ausreichende Übereinstimmung zwischen oralem Befund und subjektiver Einschätzung.

Diskussion

Der GAMS könnte beitragen, die Erwägung und Berücksichtigung von Mundgesundheitsproblemen bei geriatrischen Patienten im hausärztlichen Setting zu erleichtern und die Zusammenarbeit mit Zahnmedizinern im Sinne europäischer Handlungsempfehlungen fördern.

Zusatzmaterial online

Zusätzliche Informationen sind in der Online-Version dieses Artikels (10.1007/s00391-020-01730-5) enthalten.

[Development and validation of the Mini Dental Assessment : A procedure for improved estimation of need for dental treatment in geriatrics]

BACKGROUND

In the future there will be an increasing demand for professional care with simultaneous retention of the dentition in older people. Due to inadequate dental knowledge, it is often not possible for caregivers to adequately assess dental deficits.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to develop and validate a simple tool (Mini Dental Assessment, MDA) to assess possible dental treatment needs (DTN) of residential geriatric facilities by nursing personnel.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

In the study 169 patients (51 from the University Hospital Giessen, 118 from the Bonifatius Hospital Lingen) underwent a dental examination. The dental status was evaluated based on the California Dental Association (CDA) criteria and the DTN determined. In addition, the time since the patients last visit to a dentist (TLVD) and denture age (DA) were documented and a chewing function test (carrot eating test, CET) was carried out. In a second study 155 patients were examined (115 from the University Hospital Giessen, 40 from the Bonifatius Hospital Lingen) corresponding to the reference sample and including a further chewing function test (after Schimmel und Slavicek) and questionnaires on quality of life (Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP), Denatl Impact on Daily Living (DiDDL)).

RESULTS

A total of 108 patients required dental treatment. The mean value (±SD) for the TLVD was 2.5 ± 3.8 years and 10.8 ± 8.9 years for the DA. There was a positive correlation (Spearman, P < 0.005) between the DTN and degree of comminution in the CET (3.4 ± 1.8 grade). Based on the results an assessment tool was developed using the variables CET, TLVD and DA weighted by the respective regression coefficients (10:3:1). The resulting mean total MDA score was 51.32 ± 28.14. A sensitivity/specificity analysis was conducted and a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve calculated (area under curve, AUC: 0.805; 95% CI: 0.738-0.873). The ROC curve from the follow-up study showed a good agreement with the ROC curve from the reference study (AUC 0.829, 95% CI: 0.751-0.907).

CONCLUSION

Based on the results of the study it could be shown that the MDA is a suitable instrument for making a valid statement on the assessment of DTN of patients in long-term care facilities. The validation study revealed the validity of the MDA in its originally developed form and the addition of two further chewing function tests did not significantly improve the validity of the MDA. Overall, the MDA appears to be an appropriate tool to help nursing home personnel to assess the necessity for nursing home residents to visit a dentist.